The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a cushion and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a travel pillow for use on vehicle seats (for example airplanes) during long trips.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,644,990 to Pearson apparently discloses, “a personal support apparatus for supporting the head and body of a person sleeping in a seated position,” that, “includes a generally U-shaped collar member for contacting the wearer's neck from the back, with the collar being made from a soft resilient material that retains its shape, and first and second side arm support members permanently or reversibly and adjustably attached to the collar, with the side arm support members being made from a soft malleable material that reversibly conforms to the contours of the passenger's body and/or the vehicle seat or other surface, the first and second side arm support members being characterized by a first level of firmness, and the collar member being characterized by a second level of firmness that is greater than the first level of firmness”.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,584,285 to Sipherd apparently discloses, “a travel pillow that provides head cushioning, lateral support and stays in place when the user is in a seated position or semi-reclined. The travel pillow including a neck support cradle, head base contour to provide vertical head support, head support platform, side buttresses to provide lateral head support and support bases to achieve an anatomically neutral position for the cervical spine.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2011/0094035 to Tansingco apparently discloses, “A travel pillow for providing the head and neck alignment of a human user resting against a seat back. The travel pillow has an interior shell of a semi-stiff unitary construction. There is a head support region defining a head supporting space for supporting the user's head, a neck support region defining a neck supporting space for supporting the user's neck posteriorly, an enlarged portion bridging together the head support region and the neck support region, the enlarged portion varying in radius from the head support region to the neck support region all elements functioning together as a single unit to maintain the columnar alignment of the user's head directly above the user's neck, and lobes extending upwardly on either side of the head support region to support the head at the intersection of the occipital bone, parietal bone and temporal bones on either side of the head to prevent lateral bending of the neck. The pillow is placed between the user and the seat back, wherein the pillow is held in place during use by the user's weight resting against the seat back. The head support region may be sized and shaped to match the approximate shape of the back of the user's head. The head support region may be transversely curved about the user's vertebral axis and is cut away at the user's occiput such that the user's head rests directly against the seat headrest.”
U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,081 to Price apparently discloses, “A portable device for recumbency of the head and neck providing support for the same while travelling or in other situations where discomfort arises from lack of adequate support. The device is provided with a surface having a generally concave shape with respect to a vertical axis of curvature corresponding approximately to the central vertebral axis of the neck. The concave shape is fashioned so that it has symmetrical left and right halves, opposing areas of which are designed to exert gentle pressure in the vicinity of the mastoid processes of the head, a region near the base of the head, and located at the sides thereof almost at the rear. There are two embodiments of the device, one a padded resilient sheet curved to provide the support surface and a second in the form of an inflatable pillow.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,700 to Liu apparently discloses, “A protective pillow,” comprising, “two symmetrical side panels connected by a back panel which define a receiving space therein for the comfortable support of the head of a user. The back panel has an orthopedically engineered front surface which closely fits the back of the head. The side panels have bottom ends which terminate into hooks by which the pillow can be fastened or attached to the user's shoulders.”
Additional background art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,578 to Sweeney et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,832 to Tatum, U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,651 to Fishbane, U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,065 to Tinhorn, U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,692 to Lange, U.S. Pat. No. D619,402 to Stemlight et al.; U.S. Pat. No. D404,238 to Keilhauer.